Hirschhorn-Neckar Germany Hesse
Frequently Asked Questions
Right at the foot of the town, on the north bank of the meander, 24 kilometres upstream from Heidelberg. The lanes start climbing immediately from the landing stage, between half-timbered houses and pastel facades.
Yes, entirely. The old town takes about half an hour to stroll, and the castle is a fifteen-minute climb on a shaded path. Allow a good three hours to combine the lower streets, the monastery and the heights without rushing.
The market square and the half-timbered lanes, the former Carmelite monastery halfway up the slope, then the castle of the knights of Hirschhorn and its panoramic terrace. That makes a full half day.
A stronghold raised in the mid-13th century and enlarged through the Renaissance, held by the local knights, influential ministerials of the Palatinate. It watched over river traffic, tolls included. The building now houses a hotel and restaurant.
The panoramic terrace welcomes passing visitors for a coffee or a local apple juice, and the tower gives the view. So this is not a conventional museum visit: it is a viewpoint with an establishment around it.
The entire horseshoe of the Neckar, the ridges of the Odenwald and the roofs of the town below. The river makes one of its tightest turns here, wrapped around a wooded spur.
A complex founded in the 15th century by the local lords, set on the hillside. It keeps a Gothic church with old frescoes and a silent cloister. You reach it by a paved Stations of the Cross path, with framed views of the river between the trees.
The euro. Inns and the castle restaurant generally take cards, but bakeries and small shops in town often prefer cash. Carry a few notes.
The Castle Road, stringing fortresses along the Neckar: Neckarsteinach with its four castles a few kilometres downstream, Dilsberg with its perched walled town, Hornberg further upstream. A flat cycle path follows the valley for anyone wanting to sample a stretch.
Late afternoon, when low sun rakes the meander and lifts the pale castle stone against the dark forest. It is the image of the Neckar valley that most often stays with visitors.
